Is Monster Ultra Strawberry Dreams ultra-processed?

500ml Energy drink without sugar and with artificial sweeteners Sold in the United Kingdom

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavour enhancer
E110 Sunset yellow FCF
E129 Allura red
E133 Brilliant blue FCF
E445 Glycerol esters of wood rosin
E950 Acesulfame k
and 1 more

27 ingredients
9 additives
Nutri-Score C

Less processed energy drinks

Virtue Sparkling Energy Water Berries Refresh Brands 12 ingredients · 1 additive NOVA group 1
Good energy Organic Guayusa Blood orange & Tangerine Good Earth 8 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 3
Orange Kiss Energy Drink Alani NU 5 ingredients · 1 additive NOVA group 1

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

carbonated water, flavour enhancer (ultra-processing marker) (erythritol (ultra-processing marker)), acid (citric acid), taurine 0.4%, acidity regulator (sodium citrates), natural strawberry flavouring with other natural flavourings, panax sinseng root extract 0.08%, preservatives (processing marker) (potassium sorbate sodium benzoate), caffeine 0.03%, sweeteners sucralose acesulfame k, l-carnitine l-tartrate 0.015%, vitamins, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, stabiliser (glycerol esters of wood rosins), guarana seed extract 0.002%, inositol colours (129, e110 (ultra-processing marker), e133 (ultra-processing marker))

Additives: E110 Sunset yellow FCF , E129 Allura red , E133 Brilliant blue FCF , E211 Sodium benzoate , E330 Citric acid , E331 Sodium citrates , E445 Glycerol esters of wood rosin , E950 Acesulfame k , E968 Erythritol

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E129 Allura red, E445 Glycerol esters of wood rosin, E950 Acesulfame k.

As written on the pack

CARBONATED WATER, FLAVOUR ENHANCER ERYTHRITOL), ACID (CITRIC ACID), TAURINE (0.4%), ACIDITY REGULATOR (SODIUM CITRATES), NATURAL STRAWBERRY FLAVOURING WITH OTHER NATURAL FLAVOURINGS, PANAX SINSENG ROOT EXTRACT (0.08%), PRESERVATIVES (POTASSIUM SORBATE SODIUM BENZOATE), CAFFEINE (0.03%), SWEETENERS SUCRALOSE ACESULFAME K), L-CARNITINE L-TARTRATE (0.015%) VITAMINS (B3, B5, B6, B12), STABILISER (GLYCEROL ESTERS OF WOOD ROSINS), GUARANA SEED EXTRACT (0.002%), INOSITOL COLOURS (129, E110, E133).

What makes it ultra-processed

Cosmetic additives

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

E110 Sunset yellow FCF Sunset yellow FCF is a synthetic orange azo dye (FD&C Yellow No. 6 in the US).
E129 Allura red Allura red AC is a synthetic red azo dye (FD&C Red No. 40 in the US).
E133 Brilliant blue FCF Brilliant blue FCF is a synthetic blue dye, listed in the US as FD&C Blue No. 1.
E445 Glycerol esters of wood rosin Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
E950 Acesulfame k Acesulfame K is a synthetic sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar, often combined with aspartame or sucralose.
E968 Erythritol Humectants are substances which prevent foods from drying out by counteracting the effect of an atmosphere having a low degree of humidity, or promote the dissolution of a powder in an aqueous medium.

Show 1 more

Flavour enhancer Flavour enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (E621) strengthen savoury taste without adding a flavour of their own.

1 ingredient that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 60 energy drink without sugar and with artificial sweeteners

From least to most processed, this one ranks 52nd. 100% of the energy drink without sugar and with artificial sweeteners here are ultra-processed.

Ranked by NOVA group, then by the number of ultra-processing signs, additives and ingredients. Our ordering, not part of NOVA.

All 60 energy drink without sugar and with artificial sweeteners, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5061013944199, last edited 9 September 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of C (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.